Title: Social network analysis: potential quality tool for enterprise development

Authors: Kongkiti Phusavat; Amir Radfar; Rotrat Rojanakit

Addresses: Advanced Center for Industrial Technology and Faculty of Engineering, Kasetsart University, Bangkok 10900, Thailand ' Advanced Center for Industrial Technology and Faculty of Engineering, Kasetsart University, Bangkok 10900, Thailand ' Advanced Center for Industrial Technology and Faculty of Engineering, Kasetsart University, Bangkok 10900, Thailand

Abstract: The study evaluates the applicability of the social network analysis (SNA) as a quality tool for an electronic manufacturer. This firm looks for a suitable tool to help improve its delay time when handling a customer complaint. Despite the availability of various quality-related tools, there is no specific technique to help analyse the bottlenecks in information flows. For instance, process analysis is applicability with the tangible objects. For the SNA's findings, the information bottlenecks are identified at the supervisor and product engineer section manager nodes. The feedback is gathered from all participants for their feedback on the future use of the SNA. They consider the SNA as useful in gaining the visibility and insightful knowledge on the linkages of all key tasks. Finally, the SNA has strong potential to be part of current quality tools being applied today for enterprise development.

Keywords: social network analysis; SNA; quality tools; information bottlenecks; enterprise development; electronics manufacturing; information flows; quality management; quality assurance; customer complaints; case study; Thailand.

DOI: 10.1504/IJMED.2015.073440

International Journal of Management and Enterprise Development, 2015 Vol.14 No.3, pp.187 - 198

Received: 24 Dec 2014
Accepted: 25 Mar 2015

Published online: 08 Dec 2015 *

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